As a member of the Emmy Award-winning show, The Bay actress and Deion Sanders’ rumored girlfriend has become a household name across America. Remember Maggie Peterson in 3-Headed Shark Attack? Yup, that’s Karrueche Tran! And mind you, we are not yet talking about the widely acclaimed roles in Claws and the coming-of-age drama The Chi. In fact, just a week ago, she made waves for her stunning appearance and bold fashion statement at the Variety event. However, her success sauce has not been without challenges.

Starring as Charlie Jones in her latest rom-com, Preach, Pray, Love, Tran plays the role of a rapper whose fierce persona and edgy lyrics make her a rising star in the hip hop world. It’s the first time the 37-year-old has been immersed in the role of a rapper, and emboldening the persona, style, and swagger of a platinum-selling artist, Tran rapped throughout the movie: “One of the biggest challenges playing this role was RAPPING….throughout the movie that is ME rapping in the songs LMAO.”

Trying to keep the character authentic, she’d spent over six hours in the studio, lending her voice to the rapper. “I didn’t want to just like, go in and just kind of wing it, you know,” she said to Black Girl Nerds. And it was no cakewalk. But she was determined to portray a fresh character and gave a shout-out to her friend for helping her out. “Chile, it was not easy, but I did it!” she wrote, sharing a snap from the studio that showed her clad in a black outfit, specs, and silver earrings.

She added, “Very cool experience, and I owe all the thanks to @dayvia10 for helping me throughout this journey…over six hours in the studio…thank you for your guidance and your patience.”

Much like with any new experience, you learn new things about yourself. Playing the character of a rapper was a new experience for Tran, which pushed her past her limits. “I’ve never played a rapper. I’ve never rapped,” she said per Celeb Secrets. “I think one thing I’ve learned about myself is I can do anything I put my mind to, you know, as kind of like nervous and not scared, but just I was anxious because I wanted to do the character justice.”

To do justice to the character, she did her homework, giving her 100% to Charlie Jones. Studying rapper Lola Brooke, who rose to fame after her 2021 single Don’t Play With It broke into pop culture, Tran learned from her to step into the skin of a rising hip-hop artist. Further, she stated, “I think I did a pretty decent job.”

With her refreshed role, Karrueche Tran finds herself sharing similar ties to rapping. Meanwhile, the Sanders family’s appetite for music is well known.

Deion Sanders’ love of music

Talking about rap and hip hop, one cannot look further away than Karrueche Tran’s rumored boyfriend, Deion Sanders. A dual-sport mega-star, he launched his own rap album in 1995, inking a deal with Bust It Records. Prime Time and Must be the Money broke the internet in the 1990s.

With close friends in rappers and hip-hop sensations Lil Wayne and Lil Twist, Deion Sanders’ love for rapping is still alive. Back in June 2024, he contributed a verse to Yella Beezy’s Must Be the Money Pt. 2, expressing his gratitude to God for his blessings. “The weight of the people weigh heavy on my shoulder,” Sanders says. “Gave ‘The Sip the blueprint and took the family to Boulder.”

He isn’t the only person in the Sanders abode to go the hip-hop way. Bucky’s appetite for rap beats is widely known. In May last year, he released Iggy, featuring subtle clapbacks at the numerous insults thrown at the Sanders family.

Now, as Karrueche Tran gears up for her latest movie release, her candid confession proves that her journey hasn’t been all glitz and glamor. Yet, much like her partner Deion Sanders, she continues to face challenges head-on — showing that resilience runs deep in both their worlds.